Painting Faux Finishes

Painting faux finishes is a great way to add interest and texture to your walls. Faux finishes make one surface look like something else. For example, you can do a faux wood treatment to make your painted surface look like wood or a faux marble. These are just a couple of the faux techniques that can be used in your home.

Painting faux finishes can be as simple as using a sponge to sponge a second of color over the first or more complicated as trompe l'oeil would be. Trompe l'oeil is done by painting an object with proper shading and lines so that it gives the illusion of really being there, something such as a window or statue for example. Before beginning any faux painting technique, it is important to wash the walls and to repair any cracks or holes.

• Sponge paint, which is probably one of the easiest techniques. Sponging adds depth to your painted walls. Paint your walls a base color of your choice. Once the paint is dry, use a sea sponge dipped into your second color of paint. Pounce the wall with the sponge in your hand; alternate directions and angles. Continue until you are happy with the look of your wall or project. Work on a small section at a time until the room is finished.


• Marbleizing. Paint the surface a light base color. You will need a darker color for the marbleizing. In a container you will have to mix your darker color and glaze, use one part paint to three parts glaze. Dip a feather into the paint glaze mixture, using the feather make lines across your lighter base color. Make the lines jagged and jerky; do not apply smooth pressure. These lines should mimic the look of marble. For an easier way to make a marble look, crinkle up a plastic bag and dip it in the paint glaze mixture. Flatten it out over the base coat. Press harder in some areas, lift other parts up. Lift the bag and move to other areas.


• Faux wood. Paint your surface a wood color of your choice. You will need a lighter wood color as the base coat and a darker for the wood graining. Once your base coat is dry, take a wood graining tool and dip it into your darker paint. Start at the top and work in a straight line down the wall. Drag the graining tool all the way down the wall.


• Faux stripes. Paint your walls a base color of your choice. Once the walls are dry, use painter's tape and a level to divide the room into even spaces. Paint inside every other marked off area with your second paint color. Once the paint is dry and you remove the paint, it will look like stripped wallpaper.


• Trompe l'oeil. The best way to do this technique, unless you are very artistic, is to use stencils made especially for trompe l'oeil. The stencils have directions for shading and anything else you would need to know. You can use this to paint vases, windows, lakes or even a headboard to your wall.